Not Our Way
by Su Freund
Summary: Jack gets a surprise visit from Teal'c. Episode Tag for Message in a Bottle.


Title: Not Our Way

Author: Su Freund

E-mail: See bio

Website: www ficwithfins com (insert . instead of spaces in the address)

Category: Episode tag

Content Level: 13+

Content Warnings: None

Pairings: None

Season: 2

Spoilers: Message in a Bottle

Summary: Jack gets a surprise visit from Teal'c

Sequel/Series Info: None, but see author's notes.

Status: Complete

Disclaimer: Stargate SG-1 and its characters are the property of Stargate (II) Productions, Showtime/Viacom, MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, and Gekko Productions. This story is for entertainment purposes only and no money exchanged hands. No copyright infringement is intended. The original characters, situations, and story are the property of the author. This story may not be posted elsewhere without the consent of the author. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author. Copyright © 2005 Su Freund

File Size: 37 KB

Archive: My site, Jackfic yes, SJD yes, Gateworld, FanFiction Net

Author's Note: This story was inspired by another - The No Better Friend Series (Message in a Bottle segment), a series of Janet / Teal'c friendship stories by Melissa Adams – and could be considered a sequel. However this story stands alone and you do not need to read hers first to make sense of it. Thanks for the inspiration Melissa.

Also, thanks to Bonnie for beta reading and her very useful suggestions and comments and (as Fulinn28) for making the book cover that illustrates this fic on our site, a great cap of Jack to which she added a little magic. It can be seen on my site at the above address.

**Not Our Way **

"Hey Teal'c," Jack was surprised to find his team-mate standing on his doorstep. Jack noted the SF waiting for him in a car and wondered how Teal'c had persuaded Hammond to let him off base in the first place. "To what do I owe this honor?"

"O'Neill." Teal'c replied with a slight bow. "May I enter?"

"Sure Teal'c old buddy." He moved aside to let him into the house. "Can I get you something? Coffee? Juice?"

"A glass of water will suffice."

"Go sit down and I'll get it." Jack said but when he came out of the kitchen with the glass in one hand and a beer in the other, Teal'c was still standing by his front door looking stoical. "Teal'c?" he looked at his friend curiously but the Jaffa said nothing merely inclining his head and following O'Neill into the living room.

Teal'c's silence was deafening, causing Jack to speak first.

"So, what can I do for you Teal'c?"

Teal'c surveyed the bombsite that was Jack O'Neill's living room. There were empty take-out containers and beer bottles scattered over the table in front of them. He met O'Neill's eyes and Jack shrugged.

"Sorry about the mess," he said, "it's not normally… I just haven't got around to cleaning up from last night."

Jack was embarrassed because he hated anyone thinking he was a slob, which he wasn't. Normally, he was meticulous. Attention to detail, being organised and knowing where everything was when required had kept him alive many times and he could not separate that experience out in the field from how he operated at home.

Sometimes he gave the impression of being slapdash and nonchalant but anyone who genuinely believed that severely underestimated the man, and Jack had used this to his advantage many times. Recent events had thrown him off centre, and made him feel uneasy, but he was confident he'd be back to normal in no time.

As he started to pick up the empties, Teal'c urged O'Neill to stop and listen by grasping his arm.

"It is of no consequence O'Neill," Teal'c said. The chaos surprised the Jaffa, who knew that his friend had a true warrior's heart, but he quickly realised that O'Neill had lost his equilibrium, which worried him all the more. "I wish to enquire after your health."

Jack was surprised by the notion of Teal'c turning up on his doorstep to ask how he was and looked puzzled.

"I'm fine old buddy."

Teal'c was expressionless but wondered why, after any bad experiences he encountered, his friend proceeded to act as if nothing had happened. Then he realised that in this they were alike, indeed they were alike in many ways. Neither wore their emotions on their sleeve, or very rarely.

This did not mean that they were devoid of emotion, merely that they were warriors. As such they were trained to suppress and ignore their feelings and this was a necessity because to show them might prove fatal in so many different ways. To display weakness was bad for discipline and morale and could reveal too much to one's enemies. Indulging in emotion might become a distraction from the mission, which should always come first no matter what. Feel it inside, fine, but try not to show your hand.

Some would argue that to bottle everything up and keep it close might kill them slowly from within. Janet Frasier was one such person. This was why Teal'c was here.

"Indeed you are not." He retorted to O'Neill's palliative response.

"Or maybe you're not?"

Teal'c cocked an eyebrow in surprise at that comment and, after a long thoughtful pause, spoke.

"You may be correct, O'Neill."

"Darn tootin'!"

This was not an expression that O'Neill normally used and Teal'c looked confused. Jack loved slipping a little something into conversations with Teal'c, sometimes unable to resist the temptation. It amused him to see Teal'c's reaction. He admired and respected him but it was hard to take him by surprise. Teal'c was so unflappable and this was about as flappable as he ever got. Jack wished he could remain so seemingly unperturbed.

"Darn tooting?" Teal'c enquired, noticing O'Neill's smirk and deciding to play along.

"It's just an expression, Teal'c."

"I will never become accustomed to your Tauri expressions."

"Hey, of course you will. You're already getting there, my friend."

Teal'c looked pleased that O'Neill thought so, or as pleased as he ever looked about anything. The big Jaffa only just seemed to be learning to loosen up a little and smile in a way that didn't look too much like a grimace. He had a long way to go yet but Jack was determined to show him what it was to be human.

He liked Teal'c, and trusted him. Trust was not something Jack O'Neill bestowed on anyone with a casual whim. The Jaffa had sacrificed a lot to help Jack and his team, and that meant a lot. He'd been ordered to slaughter many innocent people by someone he'd been raised to believe was a god and had saved them on what O'Neill considered was pretty flimsy evidence that Jack himself was a worthy man.

That really was quite something. From the get go Teal'c had seen something in Jack that instilled faith - faith that O'Neill could help to free his people. Jack hoped he could live up to expectations and believed that, at the very least, his friend deserved faith in return, so gave it willingly. Teal'c had never let him down, indeed had helped his team and the SGC in many ways, and had been there for him when Jack was in need.

Most recently, while Jack had suffered greatly while skewered to the gate room wall, Teal'c had barely left his side and had done everything in his power to save him. Jack suspected that this was what the surprise visitation was all about.

The two men sat in companionable silence, Jack sipping on his beer and Teal'c supping at the water. They were both men of few words and, while Jack could chatter about trivialities and make jokes, it seemed that Teal'c said little that was unimportant. This meant that, to Teal'c, this visit was important and Jack was willing to be patient. As the silence continued, however, he decided to speak.

"Teal'c, my friend, thanks for being there for me." he said with genuine warmth.

"I will always be there for you O'Neill just as I know that you will be there for me." The big man replied, causing Jack to smile and blush slightly.

"Cool!" Was Jack's only verbal response.

"But I could not save you, O'Neill." Teal'c added sadly, almost under his breath.

"So that's what all this is about?"

"Perhaps."

"Teal'c, I'm here. I was saved. It can't always be you. That you were there was enough. I needed that most of all."

Teal'c looked surprised to hear so many words of value come from his friend's mouth and was gratified.

"Doctor Frasier seemed to believe that I should talk to you."

He thought back to their conversation. The diminutive doctor saw he was hurting, concerned about his friend and adopted leader after recent events and blaming himself somehow for them. He was beating himself up about it and she believed that he needed to exorcise the ghost.

Suggesting that one way of doing that might be to visit the Colonel and talk about it, she had first persuaded him and then used her skills on General Hammond. Teal'c might have been convinced to visit O'Neill but this did not mean he was certain that the good Doctor was right.

"So that's why you came?" Jack asked, imagining Janet's stubborn determination pitted against Teal'c unnerving calm.

"Indeed. But that is not our way."

"No, it isn't."

Jack understood Teal'c's meaning perfectly. It was not the way of the warrior and this was the trait that Jack and Teal'c shared above all. They were both consummate warriors, as well as very private men, not given to sharing their inner turmoil and pain.

"She does not understand." Added Teal'c.

"Probably not. She's a healer not a soldier, Teal'c. But we understand. As you say, it's not our way."

"Indeed."

They lapsed into silence again until Teal'c spoke, much later.

"I told you that the benefits of the artefact might outweigh the cost but I was incorrect."

These words startled Jack. Teal'c was blaming himself? This obviously wasn't simply to do with his inability to save O'Neill but a belief that the fault lay with him and that his friend had suffered as a result of his error.

"It was my responsibility, Teal'c, my decision. No one's to blame. We were all wrong, but I'm the guy in charge."

Teal'c bowed his head to acknowledge O'Neill's words and Jack rose from his seat, approaching Teal'c and grasping his shoulder in a display of comradeship and understanding.

"More water?" he asked.

"Some juice might be preferable on this occasion O'Neill."

"Wanna stick around for a while?"

"Indeed."

"I'll send the SF back. Someone can pick you up later, or I can take you back. You could stay over, if you like."

"That would be most agreeable."

Jack smiled.

"Okay."

He called to clear it with Hammond and briefly considered phoning Daniel and Carter to see if they wanted to come but dismissed the idea. It would be good to spend some quality time alone with his alien friend.

They did and said little. Jack persuaded Teal'c to watch a Simpson's TV marathon and they got pizza delivered. He tried to explain to Teal'c why The Simpson's was funny, not easy with a guy who isn't overly familiar with the culture that the show satirizes. Once or twice he saw his friend smiling softly and was gratified. He had to admit that he'd been feeling a little down before Teal'c arrived and his presence had improved Jack's mood considerably.

Next morning an SF came to pick up Teal'c. No doubt Hammond was concerned that the Jaffa might go AWOL. Although he appreciated that from a security point of view, Jack was saddened that his friend got no reward or trust for his efforts on their behalf. Teal'c would probably say that to serve and get the opportunity to save his people was reward enough. Jack believed the big guy deserved better.

"Wish I was coming with ya." Jack said, sighing wistfully.

It irked him to be ordered off work when he felt physically fine. Janet Frasier was just too cautious sometimes, in his humble opinion, but she was adamant that he take a couple of days recovery time and he was not due back at the SGC until the next morning.

"Doctor Frasier would be most unhappy if you did, O'Neill. She is no doubt correct as she is correct about most things. She was correct about me also. I am pleased that I came here." Declared Teal'c, astonishing Jack with his long outburst of words.

"We didn't say much," he responded.

"It was not required."

"No it wasn't."

Jack smiled and squeezed Teal'c's arm with affection.

"See you tomorrow, big guy."

"Indeed." Teal'c bowed.

"It was great having you around, Teal'c. Thanks."

"You are most welcome O'Neill. Wild horses would not drag me away."

Teal'c grinned the biggest smile that Jack figured he'd ever seen on the Jaffa's face and he cocked a surprised eyebrow in response to Teal'c's use of humor, nodding and smiling back. The Jaffa turned on his heels and walked towards the waiting car.

"Backatchya, Teal'c, anytime," he muttered to himself, thinking what a great thing friendship could be.

"Hey Teal'c!" he shouted, and Teal'c turned around. "Don't you mean undomesticated equines?"

Teal'c's smile broadened and Jack could have sworn he heard the big guy chuckle.

The End


End file.
